The Events Industry Council has announced the 2026 inductees into its Hall of Leaders. The six honorees are being celebrated for their outstanding leadership and contributions that have helped shape the global business events industry during their careers.
Additionally, five industry professionals who have made significant contributions to the industry are being awarded for their efforts.
The 2026 Hall of Leaders inductees are:
- Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO, Destination DC,
- Robert Priest-Heck, retired CEO, Freeman,
- David Kliman, CMM, cofounder, ELX, and owner of the Kliman Group,
- Kit Lykketoft, director of convention, Wonderful Copenhagen,
- WeeMin Ong, CMP, vice president of sales and MICE for the Marina Bay Sands, and
- Annamaria Ruffini, CIS, CITP, CMP, president & CEO, Events In & Out.
Additional awards
The two winners of the EIC Pacesetter Award, which recognizes emerging leaders who are making an impact on advancing the industry and have proven track records of successful leadership, are:
- James Filtz, CMP, CPCE, CHE, senior principal solutions consultant, Cvent, and
- Evan Nielson, CMP, senior event manager of the AARP.
Two industry professionals will receive Social Impact Awards, which honor extraordinary effort on the part of an individual or an organization in the areas of people, planet and prosperity, as aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals. They are:
- Anna Abdelnoor, CEO and founder of Isla, and
- Alisson Batres, CEO, Organización, S.A. (OSA).
Chin-Hsun (Ken) Tsai, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the event management program for Iowa State University, will be honored with the Adaption and Innovation Award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts on the part of an individual or organization to ensure the industry’s current and future relevance.
The 11 honorees will be celebrated during the EIC’s Global Awards, which will take place Oct. 12 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.
